Help building the largest human-edited directory of the web Suggest URL - Open Directory Project - Become an editor

directopedia.org uses links and structure from dmoz Open Directory Project.
The contents has been generating using technology developed by scientec.

An Air Burst occurs whenever an explosive device such as an anti-personnel artillery shell or a nuclear weapon is detonated in the air instead of on contact with the ground or target or a delayed armor peircing explosion.

The principle advantage of an air burst over a ground burst is that the energy from the explosion (as well as any shrapnel) is distributed more evenly over a wider area, however the peak energy is lower.

History

Air bursts were used in the first World War to shower enemy positions and men with shrapnel to kill the largest possible number of them with a single burst, assuming that the blast was directly over the trench the men were positioned in. This was accomplished by means of a proximity or Variable-Time fuze set according to the range of the target, which is why ammunition intended for air bursts is often called VT.

With nuclear weapons the air burst, usually several hundred feet in the air, allows the shockwave of the fission or fusion driven explosion to destroy the largest possible number of buildings, military units or vehicles, etc.

Newer anti-personnel land mines such as the "Bouncing Betty" fire a grenade into the air which detonates somewhere between five and half and six feet, causing the shrapnel to fly out at head or chest level, decimating any military personel within a fifteen foot radius.

Tactics

Air bursts are used primarily against infantry in the open or unarmored targets, as the resulting shrapnel covers a large area but will not penetrate armor, entrenchments, or fortifications. U.S. Army tactics call for the use of air-bursting munitions at three levels. First by MLRS bomblets against exposed command and logistics units in the enemy's rear, second by 155mm artillery shells against infantry positions, and third by mortars in order to provide cover for advancing units.

This article is based on the article "Airburst" from Wikipedia - the free encyclopedia created and edited by online user community. This article is distributed under the terms of GNU Free Documentation License. Here you find the list of authors of this article. The article can only edited within Wikipedia. Edit this article in Wikipedia.